How to Do a Centering Prayer Meditation

Posted on February 26, 2015

My next retreat is on “Living in The Present Moment,” and much of what I’d put in the initial outline had been about meditation, learning to live in the now instead of allowing oneself to get stuck in the past, truly facing what’s in front of you. Meditation is an easy go-to tool, it’s portable, and it can be done anywhere, and so in this post, I will teach you how to do a centering prayer meditation.

It’s a silent meditation where one aims to keep a clear mind, but also respectfully acknowledges thoughts as they enter the consciousness. I was first introduced to this by Sister Michelle L’Allier.

There is, of course, the other and less comfortable aspects of staying in the present moment. If we focus on the here and now, we have to get real and face whatever is going on in our own mind.

I think this is harder in today’s world than it has ever been. We have so many distractions close at hand, or in our hand that it’s easier to give in to what Pema Chodron calls an “entertainment mentality,” than it is to sit with our own thoughts.

What I’m learning in my coaching program is that there’s a true value in sitting with our own thoughts, with allowing time for introspection, journaling, for getting in to the truth of ourselves.

For today, I want to share my own walk through of how to do Centering Prayer. In this video, I talk about three ways that I’ve had this meditation explained to me, and then offer you a chance to try the practice yourself. The first 6:53 is the explanation and led meditation, and after that is silence.

Enjoy! I’d love to hear what you think of this form of meditation in the comments.

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